The Battle Has Begun

Rabbits enjoy greens and sunshine!

Is it winter?  Is it spring?





                                                                         




Sap is moving throug the trees.

Last week I worked in the studio with the garage door open, sunlight streamed into my space, birds were singing and my little dogs lay in the sun.  I walked past a clump of snowbells that were blooming and I heard the honeybees singing as they moved from bloom to bloom.  I also noticed as I drove through a forest of old trees that the ground was beginning to show green.  All the little signs of spring around the corner.  The trees are also coming alive as the sap slowly moves from the ground upward toward the branches.

Snowbells and no snow (this day)

deer are easier to see when snow is on the ground....

Then it happened, as sunrise came it revealed the tell tale sign that winter had visited in the night.  We were reminded that it is only February.  Snow lay on the ground, covering those tender signs of spring sprouts.  At last after a very mild winter, we have some measurable snow.  It is pretty as sunlight creates sparkles on the landscape. The wind blows across the open fields, causing momentary white outs.  And as the wind picks up it shakes the all snow from the pines and the needles whistle a haunting song of winter.  The birds are eagerly at the feeder, their activity makes the trees alive with fluttering movement.  I do love watching the birds.  While most were hungry for seeds, a larger bird came calling.  A Coopers Hawk came to sit in the tree branches near our back door, hoping for his own special breakfast this day.  All the little birds sounded an alert and took cover and they waited until he left, still hungry.


hungry birds....

I linger a little longer with a cup of coffee and pull my afghan around me, my fuzzy socks peeking out and think I would like to hibernate just a little longer.  I'll wait to see who wins today, winter or spring...................

Snow Delights

This morning I lingered over coffee and birdwatching.  The snow crept in sometime in the early morning hours, before daylight.  Falling gently, unknown to us who sleep snuggled under warm blankets.  When I awoke, just before light, I knew something was amiss, it was too quiet and muffled.  No wind howling and blowing, just beautiful snowflakes landing on every branch.  I love when the pines have snow resting on them, it is a magic time.

I am the one feeding the horses these days, my wonderful husband helped drive a friend to Florida and is soaking up the sunshine there.  Oh, the Florida folks think it's cold just now, for Ohio folks, it is delightful!  The horses knicker as I make my way through the snow to the barn, everything is so white it is blinding, can't begin to see the snow tracked path to the barn from yesterday.  All is filled in, it is clean, quiet and white.

The dogs are eager for their breakfast, dancing and prancing around me like they were starved.  It is hard being house dogs and making your way to the barn in the snow for breakfast!   The cats are fluffed up to keep warm, they rub against the dogs faces and my legs, also awaiting breakfast.  The dogs hate when the cats do that, they are terribly insulted I think.

I must carry hay from the big barn to the horse barn twice a day.  I hate carrying the hay, the hay drops all over my fleece jacket and my fuzzy scarf, making me look a bit like a scarecrow when I wear them to the grocery or post office.  Anyway, when it is cold, horses need more hay to keep warm.  So that means more than one trip back and forth.  A couple days ago, I devised a plan to keep me free of hay shaft and still move all the hay in one trip!  I like being a creative thinker and decided to make a tarp sled to pull the hay on!   I just tied some rope to the grommets of the tarp and magic, a tarp sled!   My horses don't care how the hay gets to them, they just couldn't wait for me to come and feed them.  They also get some grain morning and night. 

This morning, as my dogs accompanied me to the horses, hoping for some horse food as a  treat.   As I came to the gate and scanned the field where the tipi used to sit.  (I always look to see the tipi, even after it is down.)  Out in the field was a coyote with his nose in the snow, hunting mice.  Oh, a beauty it was against the white snow.  The coyote didn't stay long, because my wonderful Lab saw him too and took chase!  I have never seen a coyote so close to our barns.  He looked healthy and I loved his bushy tail!

My horses didn't seem alarmed that the coyote was in their pasture, he does look much like a dog.  Or perhaps they have seen them other times.  From the house I can watch the horses, I am quick to see when they are watching something "different" in their immediate surroundings.   I will hurry to look out other windows to discover what they are watching.  Sometimes it is a flock of geese that have landed in the field.  Sometimes it is deer making their way through, although I have seen deer bedded down in their pasture and they were totally unconcerned with their presence.  People have said that horses don't have good vision, so many times they see things moving across a neighboring field that I would have missed.

I can't wait to get back in the house and have another cup of coffee and watch the birds at the feeder outside while it continues to snow.

Snowed In, December 12, 2010

We are having our second snow of December.  The first was a bit of a shock, we just weren't ready for cold and snow.  Well, we got ready quickly, it warmed up one day and we had to kick it in gear, the weather forecasters were preparing us for a second storm with rain coming and then colder temps with snow and wind to follow.  Tonight they are calling for more snow and wind, tomorrow could be real mess.

We took down the tipi during the pause between snows.  The foot of the liner was holding frozen water, the liner has been opened and will dry out inside the barn.  The tipi was fairly dry, although the east side seemed damp, it is now in the studio, partly open also being allowed to dry out.  I should have listened to Richard in November about taking it down.  Just having such a hard time giving up summer and fall.  I do love the tipi lodge.

Today, the second storm of the season has come.  The over night rain has frozen now and the snow came.  We cancelled our trip to have breakfast with friends in Columbus.  Richard put the snow blower on the mower, checked the antifreeze and filled the windshield washer fluids.  He moved the four wheeler forward in the barn so when the sleds are brought out, it will be ready to pull the sledders back up the big hill!  (When I was a kid we had to walk back up the hill!) 

I made a wonderful soup today and did little but lounge around.  It is hard to just relax, I've always been taught not to waste my time.  It feels so good to just relax, isn't that what we should do when winter comes, hibernate and rest?  I will get back to my lists tomorrow, after being snowed in for a day or two.

Stop Whining!

Our little house from the barn direction.

I'm going to stop whining, it hasn't done any good so far.  It is December and there is a good snow on the ground, it is cold and I can't seem to change these facts!  So, I pulled out the afghans, my down slippers and the winter scarves.  I also have the Christmas tree in place and I'm going to have my grand daughters help me with decorating when they get off the bus after school. 

I'm going to make soup and start the crockpot.  I might even write a few Christmas cards while I sip another cup of coffee with my favorite Baileys cream in it.  I also am going to dig through my stack of unread books and start reading and maybe take a nap.

Oh dear, I must wake up from my dream...........   My grand daughters came before school this morning and I had to get out of my warm bed because of a two hour delay for their school!  The farrier is suppose to come this morning, I needed him here a week ago, my horse has a hoof abscess.  Dang, that means boots, winter coat, hat, scarf and gloves!  It is so cold outside this morning!  I should add some seed to the bird feeders too and find the water heater for the frog pond, I have yet to move the fish to the horse tank! 

So much for lounging around, dang it, I might start whining again.  You know I haven't even thought about Christmas presents for six grand kids either!  Now what is the date today?

And The Snow Came.....

This morning is sit in awe of the beauty of the snow.  I have my coffee in hand and a good book.  I am distracted by the activity outside my picture window.  Through this window I can see the barns, the horses are happily eating last summers hay.  I can see my wonderful husband cleaning the snow off the cars, like I'm planning to go somewhere?  Not me, I'm going to be "snowed in" today and love every moment.

The most wonderful part about being snowbound is the joy I find in watching the birds.  As I look outside my big uncurtained windows, I notice that the pines nearby and the forsythia bushes are alive with activity and movement.  It's as if each are filled with little joyful ornaments.  Some are very colorful, some are more somber, but all are in motion.  They are part of the families of birds that come to my feeder today, looking for a sunflower seed to fill their tummies, keep them warm and sustain them during this snowy winter day.

The little Caroline wren, with her upright tail.  The many cardinals bring splashes of color to the white landscape.  So many little sparrows, the white crown, the song, the white-throated and slate colored juncos.
I see the darling little chickadees, the handsome tufted titmouse, and the beautiful gold finches.  A blue-jay stopped by to fill up on some seeds and the woodpeckers come to the suet that also hangs nearby.

Isn't it interesting that all of these birds come to the same feeders to eat.  They have no issues about one being different from the other.  They don't care that their colors aren't the same or that their songs different from one another.  They all live in harmony together at my feeders this cold and snowy winter day.  I am grateful for this lesson being taught by my feathered brothers and sisters.

January Sunrise

I went outside early yesterday, at the time our beautiful sun was rising.  A spectacular event it was.  We have had endless days of gray skies and several days of snow.  It is January after-all, not all that unexpected.  What made today special was the sun trying it's best to peek through the winter clouds.  The snow that fell the last three days was light and powdery.  That was due to the already cold temperatures.  Had it been warmer, it would have been a wet and heavy snow.  At night the snow glistened from the cold, it sparkles like glass as the porch light shown across our back yard.

This snow gently covered the branches of our pine trees.  Landing softly on every branch of the naked maple trees.  The event was very magical and fairy like and I was a part of it, I was going to record this morning sunrise with my camera.

The birds are already busy at the gourd feeder, feasing on black oil sunflower seeds and thistle seed for the goldfinches.  I love watching the birds come, nuthatches, tufted titmouse, beautiful red cardinals, a blue jay or two and a variety of sparrows, the crown, the song, even the naughty English sparrows.  I love watching the woodpeckers come, they always get their seed and then go to their favorite tree to break the shell off and then eat the inside.  I notice the junkos and the doves prefer to eat the seed droppings on the ground.  Occasionally the starlings come to see if there is something they like, they don't like the black oil sunflower seeds.  I am happy to see them leave quickly.

I went outside yesterday with my camera to capture the sunrise.  I was still in my jammies, just throwing on a coat and putting on shoes so as not to miss this morning event.  These moments pass so quickly and I didn't want to miss anything!  It was so quiet outside, the snow muffles the sounds of far off traffic, it seems to be protecting not only the plants that are resting underneath, but protecting us from the harshness of naked trees, of brown grass and even our own footsteps.  I quickly take pictures, before my camera freezes from the cold and refuses to take anymore shots.  The warm air from my breath creates a fog on my glasses and I can hardly see my camera, I just take pictures and hope I captured the moment.  I was part of that sunrise and said my thanks to each of the directions while I shivered a little while outside in a cold snow covered land. 

I went back into the house, with rosy cheeks, foggy glasses, snow covered shoes and a big smile.  It was wonderful to be outside, to catch a moment of magic in January.